The 200 year old Essex bridge that people can't agree what it's called

The ancient bridge in Coggeshall was first built in the 1200s
-Credit:Peter Kemp


Going to one village town and asking for directions might be made all the more confusing when a local landmark goes by three different names. That is true of Coggeshall’s thirteenth century bridge, ordered by monks, and dedicated to its founder, King Stephen.

The ancient bridge was originally built to divert the River Blackwater to a watermill run by monks. It is believed that the bridge had the arms of King Stephen, and the sign of a Saggitarius, a half man and half horse creature, which refers to just some of its different names.

Having three different names, bridge has been known over the years in different ways. Names include ‘Stephen’s Bridge’, after its founder, King Stephen, ‘The Long Bridge’, in contrast with another bridge which crosses the Blackwater River, and as the ‘Horse River Bridge’, which could refer to its sagittarius emblem, or to it being a source of water for horses to drink.

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Originally commissioned by monks from the nearby abbey, and possibly made from local bricks, the first of its kind in England since the Romans, the bridge has faced changes over the years. In 1912, the bridge was widened, as cars became more popular.

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